Rachael Ray hosted the final five, as well as Alton, Bobby and Giada, on her talk show during last week's episode, and tasked the finalists with helping to solve a common problem: dinnertime struggles. After several successes (and also several failures), Star Talk wanted to catch up with the host herself to find out her thoughts on the show.

Star Talk: Rachael, what are your final thoughts on how the final five performed in this episode?Rachael Ray: I think overall they did really well. I think some of them were a little more comfortable than others, but you know, it's a really tough thing to try to master working in front of a camera and a live studio audience and having the family that you're cooking for literally at the counter. So it was sort of a triple threat. I thought once they each got into it, even those that weren't as comfortable found their rhythm eventually.

If you've seen an episode of Star Salvation, you probably know that it takes much more time to actually film one episode than the 10 to 13 minutes that is shown on FoodNetwork.com. So what happens to all that lost footage?

Click play on the video above to watch the hilarious cuts that didn't make it on the Web series.

Sarah and Emma found themselves surviving elimination in Episode 7, and because anything can happen in Vegas, with luck changing by the minute, these ladies had the advantage of selecting the teammates they wanted to work with in this week's challenge: an unforgettable four-course dinner for the Selection Committee.

It didn't seem like there was much of a competition, though. Team Sarah (including Luca and Nicole), blew the Committee away, captured the win, and left Emma, Loreal and Lenny up for possible elimination.

If you haven't yet watched the episode, don't read any further. Star Talk is about to break down the ins and outs of the episode — and reveal who was sent home.

This week the remaining finalists and fans of Food Network Star saw the return of a Season 9 regular: the Dial of Doom. At a pool party on the deck at Caesar's Palace, finalists were tasked with making their best bites and tempting guests to try them with an engaging presentation. To help gauge the crowd's interest in each presentation, Alton introduced the Dial of Doom.

Star Talk caught up with Mr. Brown on set and asked him about this gadget. "I would like to have the Dial of Doom in personal life every day. It would make everything so much easier to dial up or dial down, and we’d all be done," he joked. "Honestly, I think that it’s good because it means that a bunch of people that really don’t know the finalists get to immediately react — immediately respond in a way that a TV audience would respond if they were just happening upon their show. So I think that it gives us a piece of information that we don’t ordinarily get, which is an immediate, raw, visceral response to somebody’s presence."

Just as the finalists were getting used to Food Star Kitchen, the competition moved from Los Angeles to the bright lights of Las Vegas this week. But that wasn't the only road bump the remaining finalists hit. Within the first few moments of the show, they learned that while they were competing, eliminated finalists from the first six episodes were vying for a second chance on Star Salvation. With this news, they watched a fan-favorite return: Luca. "I'm not going to be an easy contestant to go against," he promised. For Episode 7 he kept that promise and took the top spot along with belly-flopping Lenny. Three finalists weren't so lucky: Chris, Emma and Sarah.

If you haven't yet watched the episode, don't read any further. Star Talk is about to break down the ins and outs of the episode — and reveal who was sent home.

Food Network Star fans will have a chance to ask Alton, Bobby, Giada and all 12 finalists questions during the final episode, which airs August 10 at 9|8c. Before the winner is revealed, everyone will gather at Food Network headquarters on August 6 to tell all and view never-before-seen footage from the season. Bobby, Alton and Giada will also share their favorite moments during an emotional look back at the remaining finalists' journey to the finale.

Is there something you've been dying to know from the season? Do you want to be on the Food Network Star finale?

Star Talk is soliciting Skype viewers and callers throughout the country who would like to be part of the show that tapes on Wednesday, August 6 starting at 10am|9c.

Being a Food Network Star means not just hosting a television show, but building a brand indicative of a unique point of view, and Episode 6 was all about honing that perspective and the products that would support it. The seven remaining finalists had to create products and package them in this episode, but then they also had to sell them in commercials that forced them into oddball places — thanks to a special green screen.

If you haven't yet watched the episode, don't read any further. Star Talk is about to break down the ins and outs of the episode — and reveal who was sent home.

There are certain foods that are synonymous with amusement parks, fairs and carnivals. One of those happens to be funnel cakes — fried, cakey and doused in powdered sugar. In last Sunday's episode of Star, the remaining finalists and judges headed to Knott's Berry Farm, an all-American theme park. In between takes, the Food Network Star crew snacked on this doughy treat (pictured below) in pure Knott's fashion: covered in the family's well-known boysenberry jam. Historically, Knott's Berry Farm was a berry market and nursery where the berry plants were sold. The boysenberry actually became the family's trademark and soon afterward the family started selling jams and jellies.

Craving a funnel cake now? No need to head to your nearest Ferris wheel. Try making one at home — it's easier than you think. The trick to making a great funnel cake is the flour. Alton recommends you use bread flour (watch this video). Don't forget to try one slathered in jam, which you can make from the judges' recipes below.